Predators Send Egor Afanasyev to San Jose for Ozzy Wiesblatt

The Nashville Predators made a minor trade Sunday, acquring forward Ozzy Wiesblatt from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for forward Egor Afanasyev.

Selected by Nashville in the second round (No. 45 overall) in the 2019 NHL Draft, Afanasyev was one of the Predators' top prospects and set to become a restricted free agent this offseason. He made his NHL debut in March 11, 2023, and has one point (1 goal) in 19 NHL games played. His RFA signing rights now go to the Sharks, who have until July 1 to make a qualifying offer.

Wiesblatt earned his keep in the Predators organization after he finished the 2023-24 season on loan with the Milwaukee Admirals from the San Jose Barracuda, the Sharks’ AHL affiliate. Originally drafted by San Jose in the first round (31st overall) of the 2020 NHL Draft, Weisblatt recorded six points (1 goal, 5 assists) in 16 regular-season appearances with the Admirals. During Milwaukee’s run to the Western Conference Final, he added nine points (2 goals, 7 assists) in 15 contests, including a five-game point streak (5 assists) from May 10-22.

While Afanasyev enjoyed a breakout year in 2023-24, scoring 54 points in 56 games for Milwaukee, his future with Nashville seemed murky at best. He is an elite AHL player, but his lack of playing time at the NHL level this season indicated that the organization had moved on from him – not to mention the rumors he had interest in returning to play in Russia. He will now get a fresh start in San Jose, where he will have a legitimate chance to compete for an NHL roster spot.

Although Wiesblatt’s track to the NHL may be similarly unclear, the Predators view him as a better prospect than Afanasyev at this juncture. His speed, physicality and ability to get back and play on defense mesh well with the system being implemented by the coaching staffs in Nashville and Milwaukee.

While Wiesblatt is unlikely to crack Nashville's roster this season, he can continue to make an impact in Milwaukee during the final year of his contract before he becomes a restricted free agent after the 2024-25 season.